For this column, a wonderful new crop of spooky prose is on offer. There are traditional tomes from well-known horror writers such as Bentley Little and ­Christopher Golden. However, many of the best books are genre blends.

Can genre purists, or readers who just seek a fantastical escape, find titles that truly speak to them, whether traveling across the galaxy or into the underworld? Perhaps crossovers are just what Doctor Who ordered to perpetuate speculative fiction’s readership. The following survey of fall 2012 and winter 2013 titles illustrates the willingness of readers of all stripes to sit at the same table to feed on the fantastical imagination.